Smith



F. KLEINSMITH OPERATING MEANS .FOR AUTOMOBILE DOOR LATOHES Filed Nov. 2l. 1921 INVENTOR. Fefe/cf( A25/www TH.

ATTOJIYEY.

Patented thug. 2l,

OPERATING MEANS FOR AUTOMUBLE 1000B, LAJCHT'S.

Application filed November 21, 1921. Serial No. 516,642.

To all whomy t may concern.'

Be' it known that l, FREDERICK KLniN- snirrI-I, a 'citizen of the United States, residimgT at indianapolis, in the county ol' Marion and State of Indiana, have .invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Means for Automobile Door Late-hes, of which the following is a specilication. h y

This invention relates to operating means for automobile door latches and is primarily an improvement overthat form ot device shown in my prior Patent No. 1,348,882.

This forni of device is designed primarily tor use where an extension member is slidably mounted within the door construction so that when the car is to be used as an open car the sliding section may be lowered into the door construction, and one object of the inventiorl 's in so arranging the operatingl mechanism for the door latch that the movable member may pass between the latch and one of the operating handles therefor.

A further feature of the` invention is in so constructing the levers employed for oplerating the latch that the leverage thereof will be greatly increased. I

A further feature of the invention is in so constructing the levers that they may be operated to release the latch by rotating the releasing handle.

Other objects and advantages. will be hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out in the accompanying specitieation.

.ln the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a detail elevation of a portion of a door showing the latch operating means by dotted lines, and

Figure 2 is a sectional view thereof as seen on line 2 2, `Figure l.

Referringt0 the drawings, l indicates an automobile door which is hollow to receive the vertically movable member 2, which is preferably a frame provided with a pane of ,glass and which is to be raised when the car is to' be used as a closed car, and lowered into the door when the car is to be used as an open car, or partially raised or lowered for ventilatinfr purposes. In order to form the frame 2 substantially the same width as the door l, the latch 3, employed for holding t ie door in closed position, is preferably placed adjacent one face of the door so that the frame 2 will slide past the latch, and in order to operate the latch to release the same from the opposite side of the door from that occupied by the latch, an operating handle l is pivotally mounted at onefnd through the wall ot the door and is connected to the latch 3 through the medium ot levers 5 and (i, the lever 5 extending downwardly from the operating handle 4 while the lever G is connected with and extend downwardly from the latch 3.

The lower ends of the levers 5 and 6 are rigidly connected together by a shaft i', which shaft is pivotally mounted in a bearing 8 located in the lower portion of the door, and for convenience of inserting or removing the levers and bearing. a plate 9 is secured to the lower edges of the door upon which the bearingr 8 is mounted.

ln my former patent, the levers 5 and G are shown as rigid throughout their length thereby requiring1 a lateral swinging movement of the levers for releasing1 the latch, but in the present instance a pivoting han- ,dlev is employed for releasing the latch,

hence the levers 5 and 6 are formed in two sections, and these sections are connected n together by means ol links l0 and ll., re-

spectively, said links extending substanany suitable manner, the estreme upper end i ot the section cooperating with the latch extendingr above the latch where it is pivot-ed, the lever in the present instance rojecting through a notch 12 in the bolt or the latch 3, so that by swinging the lever the 9 bolt will be moved lengthwise. y

By arranging` the levers in this manner and positioning the bearing;l 8 adjacent the lower edge ot' the door, the frame 2 will readily pass within the door and between the latch and the handle for operating the same. By arranging the levers in sections and connecting them together by means of links. as shown in the present construction, a pressure on the free edge of the operating1 handle 4 will serve to operate the latch as readily as when the levers are constructed of single elements and a lateral swinging movement imparted to the upper ends thereof, and it will be thoroughly understood that lOO 1. The combination with an automobile door a. frame slidable insad door and u lsecuring latch' connected to the door at one side of the path of the frame, of a pair of levers fixed together' at their lower ends, andv extending o n opposite sides of the path of the frame` said levers being formed in Vsections, links for connecting said sections of the levers together, means for pivotally mounting' the lower ends of the levers, and pivoted means connected with the levers for moving the same for releasing said latch.

2. The combination with an automobilel door, a frame slidable in said door and a securing latch connected to the door at one ysa side of the 'oath of the iframe, a system -oflevers extending from a point adjacent the top of the door on each 'side thereof-to avpoint adjacent the bottom of the doorga connection for the lower ends of the said' systems of levers extending transversely through the door and below the path of the memes framY a connection between the latch and .one or the systems of levers, a handle pivbtally secured to the upper end of the sy"- tem of levers lying -on the opposite side of the frame from that of the said-latch whereby said handle may be rotated about its pivotalpoint to operate the latch through the systems of levers, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with-an automobile door, a frame slidable in said door and a .securing latch connected to the door at one side of the path of the trame, a system of levers extending on both sides of the path o'r the frame ,from points substantially in lateral alignment with each other and also the latch, la connection for the levers extending transversely through the door below the path of the frame, a connection between the latch and one of the systems o levers, a handle pivoted on each side of the path of the frarne to the said system of 1evers at the said pointsl of alignment whereby either handle `may be rotated about the axis of the said ivot point to operate the latch, substantial y as set forth. @In witness whereof, I have hereunto` set riny-'hand and seal at Indiana iolis, Indiana, ith-'is 18th day of'Novembe'r, D. nineteen @hundred and twenty-one.

l rasanncx nnnsnlm. n.. 8.1 Witnesses:4

CAREY S. Faim, M. L. SHULER. 

